A marketing and communications agency has been sold in a management buyout.
Steve Stuart and Chloe Dennis have taken an equal share of Mocha Marketing, based in Desford Hall, just outside Leicester.
Steve is digital director of the business while Chloe becomes its new managing director.
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Mocha was founded by Gemma Orton seven years ago, who built it from a start-up in a back-bedroom to a company that has built a solid reputation among the Leicester business community.
Chloe Dennis – who is Ms Orton’s sister – joined Mocha as agency manager in 2019, taking responsibility for its day-to-day operations.
Ms Orton has decided to work with her husband Dave in a new business Orton Property Group, operating buy-to-let and holiday-let properties. She is also becoming a smallholder farmer at the new home.
She will continue to support Mocha for at least another year, mentoring the senior management team and acting as an ambassador for the business.
She said: “After seven years of building Mocha, I feel the time is now right to pass the reigns over to two people who I know will take Mocha to the next level.
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“Of course, it was not a decision that I came to overnight.
“It’s hard to describe the love you have for your own business – people compare it to the love of a child – but it comes with a lot of emotions and I for one, have loved this journey.
“But I think there also comes a time when you stop and evaluate where you are which is what I did over the Christmas period, and I realised that I’m ready for a new challenge to push my boundaries.
“To sell the business internally is a dream come true. It means that our team and clients are unaffected by a huge upheaval but can continue to enjoy all the benefits of the Mocha that they know, whilst continuing to grow on the excellent foundations in place.
“Selling externally wasn’t an option for me. I simply wouldn’t have done that to our team or our clients.
“My plan to sell only started and ended with Steve and Chloe who have proved themselves to be more than capable to take over from me and were both, thankfully, over the moon at my proposal.
“I honestly can’t thank enough, all of the people who have played a part in Mocha over the last few years, however small.
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“We have received so much support which has had a huge impact on the reputation that we have today as a marketing agency.
“As a business, we are in the best position that we have ever been and I’m genuinely excited to see what Steve and Chloe go on to do over the next few years.”